Is there a ‘best way’ to access compression garments?

Nurses in community and acute settings are very aware these days that ignoring swelling (oedema) of the ankles, or indeed any part of the body, it is not good health care. Oedema is a sign that something is out of balance and may be corrected pharmaceutically if the cause can be found. However, there are occasions when disease or the ageing process mean that compression garments need to become the mainstay of long-term care.

The British Lymphology Society (BLS) regularly receives enquiries on how best to access medical compression garments — a question often asked when a clinician is exasperated with delays or incorrect provision of garments. Unfortunately, there is no straightforward answer. A factor that can influence access is location and funding arrangements, and routes of access change as funding sources alter.

Part of the complexity is that health costs and supply are devolved to each of the four nations; then there are local purchasing routes through local efforts to reduce costs by services. Then there are efforts by the companies who supply/distribute the goods to find easier ways for nursing and therapy services (and their patients) to access garments. Even when you think you have sorted out the issue, the politics and pathways can change again.